Package size indicator for winding machines



Aug. 20, 1957 E. BRADSHAW 2,803,212

PACKAGE SIZE INDICATOR FOR; WINDING MACHINES Filed Jan. 17, 1956 INVENTOR [00/5 [55 Beans/MW.

aia aez ATTOR NEYS United States Patent PACKAGE SIZE INDICATOR FOR WINDING MACHINES Eddie Lee Bradshaw, Salisbury, N. C.

Application January 17, 1956, Serial No. 559,551

8 Claims. (Cl. 116-114) This invention relates to devices for indicating when a package of material has reached a suflicient size to be dotted on a winding machine, and more particularly to a visual indicator device to be readily observed by the operator when a package of yarn is of the proper size to be dotted.

Heretofore, various types of devices have been employed in connection with packages of yarn on a winding machine for indicating when the same is of a predetermined or sufiicient size to be doffed. Most of these devices automatically stop the winding of the yarn upon the package reaching a predetermined size. The drawback to this type of device has been that the winding is stopped prior to the depletion of the yarn on the bobbin supply, which would necessitate the winding of the small amount of yarn left on the bobbin supply on the successive package. This practice is undesirable since it is the. object in making packages of yarn to have as few a number of knots as possible in the package of yarn. With the present device, means associated with the package of yarn indicate to the operator that the package has reached a predetermined size to be doffed, but permits winding to continue until the supply bobbin is completely exhausted, thus eliminating the winding of a small amount of yarn left on the supply bobbin on the successive package.

Another common device widely used for determining when yarn packages have a predetermined amount of yarn wound thereon consists of a gauge in the form of a small piece of wood provided with a shoulder portion spaced from one end thereof. The distance from the end of the stick to the shoulder portion represents the thickness of the package desired. Periodically, the winder attendant will gauge each package, and when the shoulder portion of the gauge touches the periphery of the package, the attendant knows the package is ready to be doifed and an empty package inserted in lieu thereof. This gauglng operation is repeated an innumerable number of times on each package before the same is doffed, thus representmg a considerable waste of time and energy.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide in association with each package of yarn on a winding machine a visual indicator device which is positioned to overlie the package of yarn being formed and to be engaged by the periphery of the package of yarn when the same has reached a predetermined size to readily indicate to the operator that the package is in condition to be dotled without stopping the winding operation.

It is also an object of the invention to provide means for manually adjusting the visual indicator for various size packages of yarn and to provide means for engaging the periphery of the package which is very light to avoid damaging or rupturing the layers of yarn thereon.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- V Figure l is a schematic view of a Winding machine showing a plurality of packages of yarn being filled there- 2,803,212 Patented Aug. 20, 1957 ice 2 on and withan indicator device shown associated with each package;

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevation of one of the packages of yarn shown in Figure 1 completely filled to a predetermined size with the indicator device visually indicating that the package is ready to be dofi'fed;

Figure3 is a side elevation taken on line 3-3 in Figure 2 and showing the manner in which the indicator device is positioned relative to the winding machine instrumentalities.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 10 broadly indicates a visual indicator device shown associated with each package P of yarn being formed on a winding machine W (shown only fragmentarily). The winding machine W is provided with a plurality of driving rollers 11 for engaging the periphery of each of the packages P for rotating the same to permit yarn to be wound thereon. Each of the packages P is mounted on a spindle 12 rotatably mounted in a bearing block 13' which bearing block is mounted on the outer endof an arm 14 which is pivotally mounted on a shaft, not shown, in a conventional manner.

The indicator device 10 comprises two supporting mem bers 15 and 16, each being substantially L-shaped and adjustably secured together by bolts 17 cooperating with a slot 21 (Figure3), formed in the upper end of the portion 15. A bolt 20 adjustably secures the support member 15 to the bearing block 13 by cooperating with a bifurcated lower end 18 of the support. The bifurcated portionlS permits the support 15 to be adjustably disposed relative to the package P of yarn without engaging the same.

The upper end of the L-shaped support member 16 overlies the periphery of the package of yarn and is provided with spaced apertures 22 for receiving opposite ends of a U-shaped floating member 23 therein which is prevented from being dislodged from the member 16 by nuts 24 adjustably positioned on its ends. The U-shaped floating member 23 is preferably formed of a suitable light material such as aluminum to prevent rupture of the yarn when the member contacts the periphery of the package.

To place the indicator device in operation, the lower end of the supporting member 15 is adjustably secured by the bolt 20 to the bearing block 13 to permit a slight clearance between the package P of yarn and the support. The member 16 is then adjusted vertically by means of the bolts 17 and the slot 21 to permit the lower end of the U-shaped member 23 to engage the periphery of the package of yarn when the same has sufiicient yarn wound thereon. Now, when the package of yarn is increased in size from that shown in Figure 1 to that shown in Figure 2, the package of yarn P will move the U-shaped member or floating member 23 upwardly to move the nuts 24 out of engagement with the member 16 which condition is readily observable by the operator. The operator now permits the supply bobbin of yarn to be completely exhausted prior to doffing the package P of yarn from the machine.

The provision of the nuts 24 on the floating or U-shaped member 23 also permits added vertical adjustment to the indicator device beyond the point of vertical adjustment permitted by the bolts 17. For example, if the package P of yarn desired to be built is quite large, the nuts 24 can be screwed half way down each of the respective legs of the U-shaped member 23 to move the lower end of the member 23 further away from the spindle 12 to permit the building of a larger package of yarn.

It is thus seen that there has been provided an indicator device for visually indicating to the operator of the winding machine when the packages of yarn thereon have reached a sufiicient size to be dotted.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention beingdefined in the claims.

I claim:

1. Means for indicating when a package of yarn on a winding machine has reached a predetermined size comprising a support secured to said machine and having its upper end overlying said package of yarn and vertically movable and freely slidable means mounted in the upper and overlying end of said support for yieldably contacting the package of yarn when the package has reached a predetermined size.

2. Ina winding machine having a spindle for carrying a package of yarn, means for indicating when the package of yarn has reached a predetermined size comprising a vertically adjustable support secured to the machine and having its upper end overlying said package of yarn, and vertically movable and freely slidable means mounted in the upper and overlying end of said support for contacting the package of yarn when the same has reached a predetermined size.

3. An indicator device for indicating when a package of yarn on a Winding machine has reached a predetermined size comprising a vertically adjustable support secured to said machine and having its upper end overlying the package of yarn, the upper end of said arm having a pair of spaced apertures therein, a substantially U-shaped member positioned for sliding movement in said apertures, the lower end of said U-shaped member adapted to engage the periphery of the package of yarn when the same has reached a predetermined size, and means on the ends of said U-shaped member for adjustably varying the distance that the U-shaped member extends below the upper end of said support.

4. Means for indicating when a package on a winding machine is ready to be doffed comprising a support positioned adjacent the package, one end of the support overlying the package, and vertically movable and freely slidable means mounted in the end of the support overlying the package for yieldably contacting the periphery of the package when the package reaches a predetermined size.

5. An indicator device for indicating when a package of yarn on a winding machine has reached a predetermined size comprising an adjustable upright support secured to said machine and having its upper end overlying the package of yarn, the upper end of said arm having a pair of spaced apertures therein, a substantially U-shaped member positioned for vertical movement in said apertures, the lower end of said U-shaped member adapted to engage the periphery of the package of yarn when the same has reached a predetermined size, and means on the ends of said U-shaped member for adjustably varying the distance that the U-shaped member extends below the upper end of said support.

6. In a winding machine for winding packages of yarn, means for visually indicating when each of the package of yarn reaches a predetermined size, each of said visual indicating means comprising a vertically adjustable support positioned adjacent one end of said package of yarn with its upper end overlying said package of yarn, the overlying upper end of said support having at least one aperture therein, and a relatively light slidably mounted member positioned in said aperture and extending downwardly from the overlying upper end of said support and adapted to be urged downwardly by gravity into engagement with the periphery of the yarn package when the package has reached a predetermined size to permit ready observation by the operator of the machine that the package is in condition to be doffed.

7. A visual indicating means according to claim 6 comprising means for adjusting the elfective length of said slidably mounted member relative to the overlying upper end of the support.

8. Means for indicating when a package on a winding machine is ready to be dolfed comprising a support posi tioned adjacent the package, one end of the support overlying the package, vertically movable and freely slidable means mounted in the end of the support overlying the package for yieldably contacting the periphery of the package when the package reaches a predetermined size, and means for adjusting the effective length of said vertically movable means relative to the overlying end of the support.

Dixon Dec. 22, 1914 Guion Oct. 30, 1951 

